KARNES CITY – County Attorney Robert Busselman filed a petition on behalf of the State of Texas seeking the removal from office of Karnes County Judge Barbara Shaw.

The petition was filed with the district clerk's office on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Busselman claims in the petition that Shaw should be removed from office because she failed to perform her statutory duties, violated the judicial canons and interfered with the duties of the county attorney by refusing to work with Betty Yarter, who Busselman appointed as assistant county attorney.

Furthermore Busselman alleges that Shaw abused her judicial authority by issuing a Show Cause order to the county attorney and moving forward with subsequent legal proceedings accusing the county attorney of constructive contempt. The petition claims that by utilizing outside legal counsel, the duties of the of the county attorney were improperly and illegally usurped.

The petition also alleges Shaw violated the Texas Open Meetings Act and changed the budget of the county attorney's office in an effort to interfere with the duties and authority of the county attorney.

In the form of a requested temporary injunction, the petition asks the court to immediately suspend Shaw from office and appoint County Commissioner James Rosales to assume the duties of the office of county judge until the case is heard in court. The request for temporary injunction asks the court to restrain Shaw from going to any county offices, retrieving or altering any county records or communicating with any county employee, except as allowed by subpoena or court order.

The petition concludes by asking the court to, after a trial by jury, enter a judgment permanently removing Shaw from office and grant any other relief that may be justified.

The petition and attached documents are detailed and lengthy. See next week's issue of The Karnes Countywide for a more detailed report on this developing and ongoing story.